2014 Sunkoshi blockage

Lake formed by Sunkoshi blockage
Jure area after landslide

On August 2, 2014, due to heavy rainfall, a landslide occurred at the Sunkoshi river, killing 156 people and blocking the river to form an artificial lake in Sindhupalchok District, Nepal.[1][2] Araniko Highway, the main (and only) artery of goods and people flow to China, was blocked by the landslide ripping out 5 km of highway, and causing huge traffic jam. 2 dozens houses have been swept by the landslide.[3] The landslide had a volume of 5.5 million cubic metres.[4]

This landslide had massive effects far beyond, not evident from the pictures. The dammed river was threatening to unleash a torrent of water to hundreds of downstream villages that would ravage as far as Northern India.[5] Despite the use of dynamite, it took the Nepali Army 45 days to dig a canal through the blockage to allow water in the lake to drain.[6] The lake created was 47 meters deep and over 400 meters long.[7] The hasty emergency draining through the lake canal itself has caused damage to houses downstream and threatens to take out Lamusanghu Hydropower Dam.[8]

2015 Earthquakes

Following earthquakes in April and May 2015, concern was expressed that the dam might have become unstable leading to a risk of further flooding downstream of the blockage.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Downstream areas to be announced flood crisis zone". myrepublica.com. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  2. ↑ "The Himalayan Times : Landslides block Sunkoshi River‚ locals being evacuated – Detail News : Nepal News Portal". thehimalayantimes.com. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Massive landslide blocks Sunkoshi River, 8 killed | Top Stories". ekantipur.com. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Before and After the Sunkosi Landslide". Earth Observatory. NASA. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  5. ↑ http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/09/07/top-story/water-level-plunges-as-sunkoshi-dam-breaks-open/394673.html
  6. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/nepal-army-unblocks-sunkoshi-river-dammed-by-landslide/article6388064.ece
  7. ↑ http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=82612
  8. ↑ http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Artificial+Sunkoshi+Lake+brusts+in+Sindhupalchok&NewsID=426671
  9. ↑ Ravilious, Kate (2015-05-13). "Quake heightens Nepal landslide concern". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
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